scapegoat

noun
UK: /ˈskeɪpɡəʊt/
US: /ˈskeɪpɡoʊt/

  1. A person or group made to take the blame for the mistakes or bad things that others have done.

    1. He was made the scapegoat for the team's failure.
    2. The manager used his assistant as a scapegoat to avoid taking responsibility for the project's delays.

  2. Someone blamed for something bad that happens, even if it is not their fault.

    1. Don't make him the scapegoat for your mistakes.
    2. In times of crisis, minority groups are often used as a scapegoat for society's problems.

Synonyms

victim whipping boy dupe patsy fall guy
scapegoat transitive-verb

  1. To make someone a scapegoat; to blame someone for something bad that happens, even if they are not responsible.

    1. They scapegoat him for everything wrong.
    2. The company tried to scapegoat the intern to avoid public scrutiny after the scandal.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "scapegoat" in English means: A person or group made to take the blame for the mistakes or bad things that others have done., Someone blamed for something bad that happens, even if it is not their fault..

The phonetic transcription of "scapegoat" is /ˈskeɪpɡəʊt/ in British English and /ˈskeɪpɡoʊt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "scapegoat": victim, whipping boy, dupe, patsy, fall guy.

Example usage of "scapegoat": "He was made the scapegoat for the team's failure.". More examples on the page.